1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image search apparatus and an image search method for searching a plurality of images for an image by using representative images extracted from the plurality of images. The present invention also relates to a program that causes a computer to execute the image search method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since digital cameras do not need film unlike film cameras, digital cameras have reduced the cost of photography itself. As a result, more images tend to be photographed by digital cameras. Increase in storage capacity of recording media to be inserted therein also contributes to this trend. Consequently, large numbers of images are stored in recording media for digital cameras and in recording media such as hard discs of personal computers or CD-Rs in which image data read from the recording media for digital cameras are stored. Some of the images are unnecessary images although the others are necessary. In addition, the images are left unorganized in many cases. The necessary images refer to good-looking images while the unnecessary images refer to images photographed unsuccessfully or images photographed twice or more, for example.
Classifying such a large amount of images is a troublesome task. Therefore, an apparatus has been proposed for supporting a search of a stock of images to extract a necessary image, extraction and deletion of an unnecessary image from the stock, and classifying and organizing the images based on events, dates, and locations, for example.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,999,636 describes the steps of calculating a characteristic quantity of a search key image illustrated by a user to look similar to a desired image, searching for a similar image based on the characteristic quantity, and displaying the similar image found through the search, as a manner of supporting an image search.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-108913 describes the steps of defining a plurality of image parts, preparing variations for the respective image parts, constructing an image to be registered with a database by selecting one of variations for each of the image parts, and setting an image search condition at the time of an image search by selection from the image parts.
Meanwhile, in the case where a user searches a large amount of stored images for a desired image, the user sets a search condition based on incomplete memories of the image.
Considering this fact that users carry out searches based on fragmentary memories, it is substantially difficult for users to illustrate entire images to search for, as has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,999,636. In addition, since skills of illustration vary from person to person, a considerable number of users do not think illustrating is a good interface.
In the case where a search condition is set according to selection from prepared parts as has been described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-108913, the parts may not fit well to remembered parts in actual images.